With reference to the report, "River interlinking questions" (July 19), water has a unique status among all the elements in the environment. The development of water as a resource has thus become essential if the demands of a growing population are to be met. The availability of water in India was 5,177 cubic metres per capita in 1950, which has reduced to 1,450 cubic metres in 2015 and would further drop to 1,340 cubic metres in 2025. This decline can be met only by interlinking the rivers by constructing dams and diverting water to places where there is a requirement. While selecting projects there should be little damage done to the environment and resettlement measures should be taken up. This should be included in the overall project cost. This way we can face the challenges of water shortage and sustainable development by keeping the parochial outlook of certain sections in check.
Sushil Bakliwal Jaipur
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